Refund Policy

Last updated: April 25, 2026Policy set version: 2026-04-25

What this policy covers

This policy describes how refunds work for student subscription tuition processed through ChessBulb's payment flows, and how refunds affect student access and academy remittance. Academy platform subscription fees to ChessBulb (software tiers on the Pricing page) may be addressed in separate order terms or your agreement with us.

30-day window per billing installment

For each successful charge of student tuition, a 30-calendar-day refund window starts from the date that payment is successfully captured. The window applies to that installment—not once per year for all charges. A new window opens for each new successful installment. During the window, eligible refund requests are evaluated in line with this policy and product rules shown at purchase.

Who administers refunds

ChessBulb, as the platform operator, administers refund decisions and processor-side reversals in accordance with this policy, payment network rules, and law. Academies do not unilaterally mark tuition as refunded in a way that bypasses these rules, though they may be consulted on disputes that involve their program.

How refunds affect student access

If a refund is approved for a period you already accessed, we may remove or adjust lesson access to match the refunded scope (for example, by revoking access for that billing period or the remainder of a package, depending on the product design at the time of the refund). Partial refunds, where available, will describe their access impact in the support resolution.

How refunds affect academy payouts

Academy remittance of student tuition is gross tuition minus payment-processing fees and is subject to the refund window. We do not make net tuition payable to the academy for an installment while that installment's 30-day refund window is open. After the window closes without a successful refund, that installment's net amount becomes eligible for settlement according to the schedule and method shown in the academy dashboard (for example, transfer to an InstaPay handle you provided).

Failed renewals and grace

If a student's subscription renewal payment fails, we may keep access live for a short grace period (for example, seven days) to allow a successful retry. If payment is not completed after that period, access may be suspended until payment succeeds. This is separate from the 30-day refund window on successful charges.

How to request a refund or resolve an issue

Submit a request through Contact Support with the email you used to pay, the academy name, and the approximate charge date. We may need evidence of duplicate charges or other payment errors to process a refund.

Related terms

Terms of Service — Terms of Service — general rules for using ChessBulb
Pricing — Pricing — how academy platform fees work separately from student tuition